The sun rose over the small town of Appleoosa. The day had come and everypony was up and ready for the day to come, say for two in particular. Just a few feet outside of Appleoosan borders, Applejack and Twilight were fast asleep with their new herdmate held in between their nude bodies.

The three would huddle together as they relaxed in the bed together, enjoying what little time they had left together, only to hear a soft chuckle beside them. Aaron would feel a soft kick on his head, stirring him from his pleasant dreams. He felt another kick on his head, this time getting Aaron to open his eyes to see who was disturbing him.

Trying to focus in on who it was, his vision blurred from the direct exposure to the sun's rays. Slowly, the image began to develop to show a tall earth pony standing over them. “D-Demo?” Aaron asked in a groggy voice. The stallion leaned down to show his stoic face and the amused smile he held.

“Draco is asking for you. It’s time to get going.” He wasted no time telling him why he was there, delivering the message as fast as possible. Groaning softly, Aaron stretched his arms out for a long yawn as he tried to wake the rest of his body.

“Okay, tell Draco I’ll be there in a moment. Just give me a minute to get ready.” Demo nods and walks off without another word. Aaron laid on his back for a moment, revelling in his activities from last night. He had never been happier before he met the two mares at his sides. The caring Twilight Sparkle and honest Applejack had given him something special and he would gladly walk through hell and back just for them. Still, that didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid of what he had to do today. As much as he wanted to stay with them and get to know them as lovers rather than friends, he made a promise and he was going to keep it.

Turning to Twilight, he gave her a soft nudge. “Twilight… Twilight, time to get up.” She let out a loud snore, turning over as she mumbled something inaudible. “Come on, beautiful, time to wake up.”

“Noooo… five more minutes.” Twilight was desperately holding onto Aaron, not wanting to let him leave her grasp. With a soft chuckle, Aaron leaned forward and kissed her softly.

“Come on, Twi. I don’t want the last time I see you guys is sleeping in your bed.” Twilight slowly awoke, turning over to see Aaron over her. She too would remember of what happened last night and would smile.

“Morning.” Twilight slowly sat up, covering herself with the cloak they used as a blanket. “Did you sleep well?”

"It was impossible not to.” Twilight giggled softly as she turned her attention to Applejack, sprawled out as she laid on her side. “I’m going to get dressed, think you can wake Applejack?”

“I’ll try. You didn't really want to get up. I can't imagine I can do the same with AJ." Twilight let out a soft giggled as she reached for her underwear.

“Don’t worry, Applejack is a heavy sleeper, but she will get up if she is needed. She’s usually up earlier than this anyway, so it shouldn't be too hard. Though, I would understand if she doesn't want to. She's probably dead tired after last night." Aaron would blush softly as he turned to Applejack, nudging her softly.

“Applejack. Applejack, time to wake-GAK!” In his efforts to wake the slumbering earth pony, Aaron had instead alerted her that he was no longer in her grasp. Leading her arms to wrap around his neck and bury him in her cleavage. The orange breasts were a welcome sight to Aaron and under normal circumstances, he would have welcomed the aspect of burying his face into his marefriend's cleavage. Unfortunately, they had a mission to get to.

Peeking his head through, Aaron gasped for air, trying to gain the strength to speak. “AJ, come on we gotta wake up.”

“Five more minutes.” She managed to say, rolling over to the other side with Aaron still in her arms. Applejack dragged him over to the other side and out of the blankets, exposing their nude forms to the world.

“N-No five minutes. We have to wake up now.” She held her eyes closed, trying to remain asleep like a stubborn child would. Groaning in frustration, Aaron leaned in and brought her in for a quick kiss.

“Come on, I want you to be there when I head out. Twilight is getting dressed.” He looked up to see that Twilight had already gotten her things together. “Scratch that, is dressed. Come on, will ya at least get up for me?” Applejack finally opened her eyes. The emerald green met Aaron’s ocean blue, a smile forming on her face.

“Will ya hand me my clothes, please?” Aaron was more than happy to oblige. He turned around and found their clothes scattered about the area. Twilight had already gotten what belonged to her, all Aaron had to do was sort out what was his and what was hers.

After a few minutes, the three were dressed and gathering up what was left of their dinner from last night. Applejack took the basket, Twilight took her cloak back and Aaron took the blanket Applejack had set out for them. It wouldn’t be long before the three were heading back into town. This was it, Aaron was ready to take on the challenge ahead of him and to help Rainbow Dash and everypony else trapped down below out of the prison.

Outside of the government building, the three would see Draco and his soldiers standing there in waiting. The tension was high among everypony, not knowing how things were about to go. This was the first time in a long time since Draco and his followers had taken part in an operation of any kind. “Hey, how was your night?”

“It was okay.” Aaron withheld a proud smile.

“Oh yeah, you guys run into any wolves? They were howling like crazy last night.” Applejack and Twilight began to turn a soft shade of red.

“Nah, didn’t see any wolves.” Applejack responded. “Though, I can only guess that they were mighty happy with whatever they were howlin’ about.” Draco laughed at her response. They all enjoyed a good laugh together before Draco turned to Aaron, a smile still on his face. The time had come and Aaron was just glad that they could part ways with a smile than a tearful goodbye.

“Aaron, are you ready to go.” Turning to Twilight and Applejack, Aaron would smile softly as he brought them in for one last hug. He didn’t say anything, not wanting his last words to them to be “good bye”. He wasn’t leaving them; he was just going away for a while. At least that’s what he told himself. Once he broke away from then, Aaron turned to Draco.

“I’m ready. Do I have to do anything?”

“Nope just stand where you are and we'll take care of the rest. Gilda, you ready?” The griffon smirked satisfyingly, cracking her talons as she slowly walked towards Aaron, whose smile was now fading with every step she took. The last thing Aaron would see was Gilda’s fist rushing towards Aaron’s face.

The human fell to the ground with a loud thump, immediately rendered unconscious. Gilda would shake her hand, cooling it off from the hit. “Holy shit, that’s a thick skull!” Twilight and Applejack weren't enjoying how they had to get Aaron in, but they needed this to look authentic as possible. As such, Draco and Demo began to tie Aaron’s limbs together with rope, soon helping Gilda lift him to her shoulder. Aaron's weight seemed to make her struggle, but ultimately she was able to keep him steady. “Alright, I got fat-ass ready for transport. I’ll check back here as soon as I can. Be sure to keep me updated on stuff if you can.”

“Just be careful with him, Gilda.” Twilight looked a little frightened as she saw her herd-mate laying on Gilda's shoulder, paranoid thoughts began creeping into her mind of the many ways they could fail.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.” Gilda didn’t want to waste any more time there, already getting tired of carrying Aaron around. They small group of ponies watched Gilda walk off with their friend, tied up and vulnerable as she made her way to the prison. All Applejack and Twilight could do now was worry and wait in hopes that they will hear from him tonight.

~~~~~

The plan was now in effect and everything now rested on Aaron. The human rested in a bit of pain, Gilda carrying him up to the prison gates. Her progress was soon halted by two armor clad griffons, both carrying sturdy spears. “Well, well. Look who’s back. What’cha got there?” The two guards looked to the thing on Gilda's shoulder, poking and prodding it like curious children.

“Dunno. Found this fat fuck in our food stash.” She pulled Aaron off of her shoulder and tossed him to the ground, still out cold. The two guards looked on at Aaron with disgust and curiosity. Looking at his alien form like a mystery of the ages.

“Ewww, what the hell is that? Some kind of deformed earth pony?” One of the guards said, kneeling in close to get a better look at him. She ran a finger along his face, poking and prodding him. “Squishy, bald, and muscle. I tell ya, the synth junkies are getting worse and worse side effects each day.” She shook her head and stood up. “Alright, so what do we do with it?”

“what else. He stole some of our food, little shit should work off what he took.”

“Can this… thing even think?”

“Does it matter?” Gilda said with a shrug, taking Aaron by the arms. “He stole our food and he’s gotta pay for it. If it works, then it works. If it’s a wild animal, we could send it down to fuck with prisoners.”

“You mean with your little pony friends.” The male guard said with a smirk. Gilda rolled her eyes as she picked Aaron back up.

“Whatever, dude. Ya gonna let me in so I can get this guy processed or not?” The two glared at Gilda for an uncomfortable moment before the male finally gave in and opened the gate for her and Aaron.

“Just get going.”

“Thanks, you’re a real gentlecolt.” Gilda rolled her eyes as she entered the griffon camp. There, Gilda was the center of attention with the strange creature being carried in on her shoulder. They had never seen anything like him before and some would be brave enough to approach Gilda to see just what it was. Just by sniffing him, they would back away with a disgusted look on their face. Aaron was still covered in sweat and it would protect him from any hungry griffons for the moment.

Aaron would slowly come to as he felt Gilda walk through the camp and curious griffons poke at him. His eyes would crack open slowly to look around at where he was. From what he could see, the area was crawling with griffon soldiers and buildings to house them and their equipment. Though he was still trying to gather his thoughts, he could immediately tell that Draco and his team were greatly outnumbered. He would guess the ratio was at least five to one. All he knew for sure was that Draco and his rag-tag team were severely outnumbered.

Then, he saw it. In the middle of the area was a massive pit reaching deep into the ground. A small elevator like contraption was set up to pull up and send down objects as they pleased. Aaron could also see a device that would operate the lift and from the looks of it, there was only one of them. The mental notes he took would benefit his friends; however, what they already knew about this from Gilda’s info. What they needed was the inner workings. Gilda soon entered the large wooden building, a doctor's office if he was correct. Though to him it looked like the lab of a mad scientist with terrifying tools and contraptions perfectly assembled into perfect organization.

Taking Aaron by the waist, Gilda laid him upon the table. “Alright Doc, got another worker for ya. Search him and we can ship him in.” Gilda took a few steps back, just as Aaron could hear the light clank of metal on a hardwood floor. He remained motionless, not wanting to allude to his consciousness. Though, that resolve was soon tested as he soon found a curved blade imbed into the table and so very close to his head. He managed to remain still but his cover was nearly blown, immediately closing his eyes once more to appear unconscious.

Soon enough, he found a claw turn his head over to get a good look at him, the owner examining the strange creature he found on his table. “What a strange beast.” He dropped Aaron’s head back onto the table, circling him as looked Aaron over. The griffon doctor turned to Gilda with a strange look. “Where’d you find it?”

“Found it stealing from our food stock. Thought it would work off the food for the rest of his life. Need you to look it over so it can be sent in.”

“Really now.” The griffon trailed a sharp finger along Aaron’s back, making him struggle not to move. “What is it then? It sure doesn’t look equine to me. Though, it may be some mutated subspecies of an earth pony.”

“No, but does that really matter? It stole from us and its intelligent-ish. Plus, it’s been awhile since we got any new prison transfers. Might as well replace some of the dead weight.” The doctor griffon rubbed his chin, pondering Gilda’s words. It didn’t take him long to nod in agreement.

“So be it then. Guards!” Two griffons came to the doctor’s call. “Take this… thing and send it down below.” They saluted and took Aaron, putting him over their shoulder. Gilda had played her part and now all she could do was wait. "A shame. I would have very much liked to dissect that one." With a shrug, the griffon went back to whatever he was doing in the back room.

Aaron was soon dragged out into the open of the examining area and taken directly to the elevator. His heart was racing, so close to entering making it to his destination. The three were loaded up and were immediately lowered into the large pit, a fourth pony taking the crank and began to lower them into the pit. With every second that passed, Aaron could see less and less. Light was starting to fade and all he could see were strange steel beams that jutted from one side of the wall to the other. He thought that they were some sort of support to keep the cavern from caving in or something.

Soon enough, total darkness would consume them with nothing but the soft creak of the winch slowly lowering them down. One of the guards lit a lantern, illuminating the area to reveal strange creatures covered in fur retreating into small holes in the wall. Aaron gasped in shock as he saw the beasts fleeing from the light The guards took notice of his consciousness. “Well, look who’s up.”

“Who are you? What’s going on?!” Aaron asked as if he was unaware of what was happening.

“Holy shit it can talk!” The other guard exclaimed in shock.

“We’re just taking you to a safe place, there’s no need to be scared.” Aaron could tell immediately that he was toying with him. If not for his unconvincing voice, the strange beasts in the rock told him that this place was everything but safe.

“W-Well, how much longer is this… safe place?” The lift came to a stop, shaking slightly as things settled out. Aaron looked up and could only see a small speck of what he could only assume was the sky. He was a long way down and he could feel the difference almost immediately.

“We’re already here.” One of the griffons came forward and cut Aaron’s bindings with his claw. “Now fuck off. I don’t wanna be here longer than I have to. This place gives me the creeps” The guards dragged Aaron off to a small stone bridge, stretching out from one of the more larger tunnels.

“How will I know where to go?”

“That’s not our problem.” The guard said as he took his spot on the lift, tugging the rope to alert the guard at the crank. They didn’t say anything after that, the two wanting to leave the depths of the pit as fast as possible. The more the lift was pulled, the more the light faded away with them. An uneasy feeling came over Aaron as he stood in the dark, turning around to face the tunnel he could now barely see. He kept his balance as he slowly made his way into the tunnel, hunching over as to not hit his head on the arch way.

The rock beneath his feet felt smoothed out to some degree, like something was able to mold it into a walkway of sorts. To his knowledge, Aaron hadn’t seen any machinery or equipment capable of such a thing which would only raise more questions. They would do well to keep Aaron's mind off of the loneliness he felt walking through the tunnel. This was the first time he was alone and it put him on edge.

He kept his guard up and his wits about him, ready to fight if the need would arise. He had prepared as best as Applejack could teach him. Though, the longer he walked, the more and more he wished he had that sword or at the very least someone to talk to. The silence was getting to him and all he had to focus on was the sound of his bare feet tapping on the smooth rock, but as he came to a stop, the footsteps continued on without him.

Someone, or something was following him, his heart began to flutter softly as fear built up in him. Taking a deep breath, he would continue on, listening carefully for the other. Whatever it was, it tried to move with his own steps, hiding in his own sounds. Aaron picked up the pace, hearing the other set do the same. There was no doubt about it now, the other was chasing after him.

He broke out into a full run, his hefty breath emphasized with the soft echo of the chamber. His determination for survival was urging him to run faster. This mixture of fear and want for survival, as well as a little help from the dark, had failed to alert Aaron of an upcoming wall, one he soon ran face first into. He held onto his face, groaning in pain as he made sure nothing was broken. He was unharmed for the moment but he would remember why he was running.

He began to run his hands along the walls, looking for any sort of exit, but he found nothing. He was at a literal dead end and his fears were getting the better of him. The steps were growing louder and louder, having slowed to a saunter. Aaron would run back where he came from, wanting to find a way out but the cave was slowly being filled with a brilliant red light. Terrified, Aaron threw up his fists, ready to fight his way out with no other way. His heart was racing, fueling him with adrenaline as he was ready to face his first beast on his own. "You bring shiny, yes?" Aaron would hear a voice as the light blinded him.

“W-Who said that?”

“Mink said. You bring shiny, yes?”

“S-Show yourself!” Aaron commanded. The light obliged as it began to dimmer, giving filling the room with a softer red light. The monster he had thought to be running from stood before him and only at three feet tall. It was covered in a dirty robe that hid away the body of scruffy fur. Looking closely, Aaron could see that it was a strange dog like gnome creature. "Who are you?"

"Mink's name is Mink. You bring shiny?”

“What's a shiny?”

“Shiny in rocks, shiny is our precious.” Aaron was hoping the thing didn’t want to ask any riddles. He wanted to keep his fingers the way they were. Calming himself down, Aaron sat before the small creature

“What does a shiny look like?” Mink pointed to his staff. “Oh, you mean glowing gems?”

“Not all shiny glow. They pretty colors, pretty shapes. Make Mink happy, make all happy.” Aaron was recalling this was a gem field or something like that. If he was correct, Aaron would deduce that Mink wanted gems.

“Sorry, Mink. I don’t have any “shiny” for you.” The scruffy dog-man looked saddened, lowering his head in disapointment. “However, I can help you find some, if you show me where the ponies are.”

“The ponies?! No… no, no ponies.” Mink began to back away in fear. “Ponies no like Mink. They smash Mink with mean rocks. Make Mink run away.”

“Well, I’m here to find out what happened to the ponies. So, if you take me to the ponies, then I will help you find gems. Just take me as far as you can and that will be fine.” Mink looked at Aaron, curious as he stepped closer and smelled him.

"No smell like pony. No look like pony. Why want pony, where stranger’s pack.”

“You mean… my kind? They’re far away from here.”

“Hm, bad stranger here instead with pack. Most unfortunate.”

“I have a new pack. Much more pleasant than the old one. I just wish that the setting was the same.”

“If stranger say so. Come, Mink show where ponies live. No want to stay here long. Smell bring bad dogs.” Aaron didn't like the sound of that. He suspected the things in the walls were what Mink was. Though, if they were, he wouldn’t mind it. However, his memory told him that the things in the walls were much, much larger than Mink.

With the aid of Mink's staff, Mink led Aaron through the tunnels. With the aid of the staff, Aaron was able to see a lot more than he ever could in the dark. "How do you navigate through this maze?"

“Mink smells the way. Eyes only good for finding shiny. They sparkle from Mink's glowy shiny.”

“I see. So, can you smell the ponies?”

“Not so much. Mink have bad sniffer, but remembers where ponies live.” They turned a corner. Aaron could hear rock crumble in the distance, startling him greatly.

“What was that?”

“Bad dogs. Smell Mink and stranger, don't like strangers in their tunnels."Aaron would turn back to the tunnel, looking deep into it to see a faint glow in the distance. “Mink go no farther. Ponies hate Mink. Follow tunnel forward. Don’t diverge from path, no matter how much shiny call out.”

“I see. Thank you, Mink. You have been a great help.” Aaron was about to take a step forward before he felt a hand grip his leg.

“You help Mink now. Find shiny.”

“Oh.” Aaron looked to the scruffy dog, debating with himself on what he should do. “Mink, I really need to get to the ponies, but I will keep my promise. Just not today.”

“No! Stranger said he’d help Mink find shiny. Mink want shiny!”

“I know but…” he began to think. “What if… I find you two shiny?”

“Two shiny? No one ever give Mink two shiny before. What Mink have to do?”

“All you have to do is wait for me tomorrow. For every day I don't return, I will give you an extra shiny." Mink had a satisfied look on his face, pacified for the moment.

“Wait… how will Mink know stranger going to come back?”

“Because, I may need your help later on. I don't know these tunnels like you do. So, if you help me, I’ll give you even more shiny. That way, we both win.” Mink seemed to dance with glee, eager to help Aaron for the prospect of getting more gems.

“Mink like you stranger. What your name?”

“My name is Aaron.”

“Strange name for stranger; Air-on. But, Mink still like. If ever need Mink, tap on wall three times. Mink will come, Mink always come.” With that said, Mink began to slink back into the darkness, the light from his staff fading along with him. Aaron was in the dark once again, yet this time he had a better understanding of where to go.

Aaron was closer to his destination and already had an ally. He just wished that the place wasn’t so difficult to find, or at the very least had a few lights to illuminate the way through the dark tunnels. His hands trailed along the walls to aid him in walking through the tunnel. The stone was much more course now than it was before. If he had to guess, whatever it was that smoothed out the stone before had not been around this tunnel for quite some time.

He kept his footing and made his way through the darkness, only to run into another wall with a hefty clang. Gasping in shock, Aaron held onto his face as he soothed the pain away. “Fuck, that’s going to be a thing, isn’t it?” Aaron said in displeasure. Putting his hand forward, Aaron felt what it was he ran into this time. Strangely enough, it wasn’t stone, it felt metallic and artificial. Exploring it more, Aaron would find strange indentations in the large slab of metal. Taking a shot in the dark, Aaron knocked on it like a door.

There wasn’t much else he could do in the dark and if his hunch was correct, as well as what Mink had told him, this should be where the ponies were held up. Sure enough, Aaron heard a click on the other side and slowly the slab began to move aside. Orange light filled the tunnel, casting away the darkness of the tunnel and illuminating Aaron.. “Who goes there!?” A voice called out.

“I’m looking for the ponies? Is this it?”

“Yeah, it is. Why do you want to know?”

“I was sent by Draco O’Malley to-“

“Wait!” The voice called out, a silhouette stepping into view, a tall and built stallion in makeshift armor. His coat a dirty white and his mane a dark shade of blue. “You said Draco O’Malley, right?”

“I-… I did. Why?”

“Because I knew him. He’s a good friend of mine.” The stallion sighed to himself. “I had hoped he would stop sending ponies down here. It’s a fruitless effort, though I really should know better. The colt is stubborn as can be. Guess that’s why he and I got along so well.” The stallion chuckled to himself. “So, who are you?”

“My name is Aaron. Who are you?” The stallion came forward, revealing his face. A long scar stretching down from one side of his face down his muzzle. Something like that would be intimidating but the smile he had seemed friendly and welcoming.

“My name is Shining Armor, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Likewise.” They both could hear the sound of barking coming down the tunnels. “Come, we need to get inside before they get here.” Shining ushered Aaron in, closing the gates immediately behind them.

“Before who come?”

“Diamond Dogs. The diseased ones at least.” Shining took hold of a long piece of metal mounted to the door and slid it down to lock in place on the stone wall. Just in time to hear the sound of claws scraping against the metal door. “Come on, I’ll get you acquainted. It’s my job to help the new prisoners get to know the place.”

“Thanks. I got kinda lost back there.”

“Well, guess you’re lucky. Ponies don’t exactly find the door in time. With all the winding paths back there, we lose more souls than they send down. We've thought of making a path to light the way here but we're kinda stingy on who comes through the gate. Some of the ponies that come through aren't exactly friendly.” A morbid feeling hung in the air as they followed the bright light. Within a matter of seconds, Aaron saw a sight he didn’t expect to see. Shining Armor and Aaron stood on a scaffolding over a fully functional city full of ponies. Buildings carved into the walls or made into small huts on the ground. From the looks of things, he could also see what appeared to be a farm growing not too far from them. Aaron’s jaw hung low as he beheld the area around him, amazed how resourceful the ponies were, even in a so-called prison. Turning his attention to the source of light, Aaron would see a large mass of glowing crystals gleaming like the sun itself. That must be how they are getting the light to grow food and see.

“I take it you like our little slice of paradise?”

“You… could say that. I’m just… I-I wasn’t really expecting this.”

“Yeah, we get that a lot with newbies. Glad you find it enjoyable, we really worked hard to get this place up and working. The diamond dogs were a huge help but they are just an enemy we pacified. We are constantly mining out gems and ore to sate two threats at once, just so we can continue on living in this place."

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m here.” Shining looked to Aaron curiously. He had heard that said a number of times before and was ready to hear what scheme Draco had cooked up this time.

“Why? Can you shit diamonds and gold or something? Cause that would be a massive help.”

“No, because I can communicate with my friend’s outside.” Shining was surprised to hear of Aaron’s ability.

“I see. Well, you may be able to get farther than the others have.”

“Not only that, but we have a plan to bust ever pony out of here.”

“I bet you do, but I can guarantee you that it isn’t going to work. The griffons have the top side surrounded and the diamond dogs aren’t exactly going to let their main asset of digging up gems go all too easily.”

“I see. That provides some problems in the future, but I’m sure Twilight can fi-“ Aaron was immediately taken hold of as Shining looked at Aaron with a burst of life.

“Twilight is here!?” Shining shouted in utter disbelief.

“Uh… y-yeah, calm down.”

“Calm down? How can I calm down? My baby sister is out there and I can’t do a thing to tell her I’m down here.” Warning bells went off in Aaron’s head as he began to look over the armor clad stallion. If he was telling the truth, then he could not see the resemblance. The stallion looked like a hardened warrior. A hardened warrior that would most likely pummel him into the ground if he found out that he was in a herd with his sister.

“Well, uh… Shining Armor. I’ll make you a deal. I can talk with Twilight directly through my dreams. If you can take me to Rainbow Dash, I will be more than happy to give her any message you want.” The stallion brought Aaron in for a powerful hug, crushing him between his arms and his powerful chest.

“Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“Y-yesh… it’s my pleasure… now… let me go… you’re… crushing my lungs.” Aaron was released, gasping for air as he recovered from the bear hug. “Now, where can I find Rainbow?”

“Come, I’ll take you to her.” Shining began walking down the scaffolding, leading Aaron to the fabled leader of the resistance. Unaware of what he was about to encounter.

~~~~~

The underground city from above was a marvel; however, once Aaron started to walk through it , his opinion quickly changed. The place was a slum, filled with miserable miners and their families, trying to make it out of this alive. Ponies were starving and longing for an end. Be it through rescue or the embrace of death.

Aaron kept close to Shining, distracting himself with the tales and adventures they had with Twilight Sparkle. Aaron even learning new things he never knew about his herd mate. Some things he hoped to tease her about in the future. However, he would keep his relationship with Twilight to himself. He already got a taste of his strength, he didn’t want to be on the bad end when he found out what he did the night before.

“Sounds like the two of you have had a hell of a time.”

“More like hell and a half. I’ve been here for little over two weeks and I already feel worn out.”

“Give it time, kid. Trust me, it’ll get worse.” Aaron looked to the end of the road and could see a building taller than the others. They walked up and soon met the guards. “Need to see Ms. Dash. She’s got a visitor.” The guards stepped aside and they walked on in.

“Why do you need guards down here? I thought everypony here was on the same side.”

“Not exactly. Most ponies down here are a part of the resistance. Others… blame us for making things worse or are just hardened criminals.”

“Holy shit, how many problems do you guys have down here?”

“Quite a bit. As you’ll soon find out.” The tall building was merely that of a few houses stacked on top of each other. Crudely shaped and sculpted to make a glorified living space for the leaders of the imprisoned town. After walking up a misshapen staircase, Aaron could hear the sound of female grunting inside. His mind immediately went to lewd places as the door opened to show a blue Pegasus mare, luckily not in the middle of an intimate endeavor. She was however training with a makeshift punching back.

“Rainbow Dash.” Shining alerted her to their presence. “You have a visitor. Somepony from topside. Says he was sent by Draco.” Rainbow stopped her training, turning around to face them with an angry look.

“Thought I told you I don’t like being bothered.”

“I know, it’s just that it's important.”

“What? Does Draco have another escape plan? No thanks, I think I'll pass.”

“He says he came with Twilight. She is planning on breaking you and everypony out with the help of Draco.” Rainbow merely rolled her eyes as she came to Aaron, looking him over. Her skepticism was apparent to him and Shining as she looked Aaron up and down with a disapproving gaze.

“So, what are you, some deformed earth pony?”

“No, I'm a human. Why is everpony calling me that?" Aaron whispered to himself. "Twilight brought me from my world to this one to help her stop Tirek. She thought I was the, quote unquote, most dangerous thing in existence.” Rainbow let out a hearty laugh.

“That’s the best joke I’ve heard in a long time.”

“Regardless, I’m here to help her anyway I can. Such as acting as a communication device with the outside world. I was hoping we could cooperate with each other and find a way to break out. Twilight already has an idea of smuggling in magic.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I got a message for Twilight and her friends up top.” Rainbow leaned into Aaron, getting close to his face. “Tell her… to go. There is no hope here. We are a lost cause and the longer she stays the sooner she is to be discovered. Sorry to say this, but you’re stuck down here with us until the day you die.”

“But-“

“But nothing. You were sent down here on a suicide mission and sure enough, this is it for you and the rest of us. This isn’t just a prison, it’s our tomb and there ain’t anything that will change that. So, go tell Twilight that she and Draco are wasting their time and to get the fuck out of here.” Aaron couldn’t believe what he was hearing. All this time he had heard about how they needed to find Rainbow Dash; the leader of the resistance movement. Now, she was telling them that it was a waste of time coming for her.

Furrowing his brow, Aaron responded. “Look, I don’t know what’s wrong but I am here to do what I can to help. You can either be a part of that, or you can just sit back and watch for all I care. But I came to get you and these ponies out and I intend to do that.”

“Why!? Why do you care so much? You’re in a pit of misery and the only way to live is to mine your life away for a bunch of rabid mutts and pigeons. There is no way out. I’ve tried… and tried… and tried. Each time, a part of our hope is chipped away and pretty soon we're just going to lay down and die. You want to work for a lost cause, be my guest. I wised up long ago; the sooner you do the better off you’ll be.”

“I'm doing this for my friends. For Applejack and Twilight."

“Applejack’s dead. She died with the rest of her family a long time ago.”

“No, she’s alive. She’s up top in Appleoosa as we speak. She’s waiting with Twilight to come and rescue us.”

“You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not! Why won’t you believe me when I say we want to help you?!”

“BECAUSE NO PONY CAN HELP US!!!” Aaron took a step back from Rainbow’s sudden outburst. Rainbow took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. “No pony ever gets out of here. Ponies come in but they don’t go out. I’ve been here a long time and I can tell you right now, that if Twilight is up there and if by some miracle Applejack too, then tell them to run and never come here again. Tell them to find a hole to crawl into and live out the rest of their days in safety, because I can tell you right here and now, that this fight is one no pony can win. Not us, not you, not even the princesses. We lost long ago, now it’s time we accept our fate .” Aaron looked into her eyes, seeing her anger, her sorrow, her hopelessness. This was not the Rainbow he was told of, but a shell of what was long ago.

Without anything else left to say, Rainbow pushed passed Aaron and went to her quarters to rest, leaving Aaron in shambles as he tried to pick up the pieces of his mind after her outburst. Shining came to Aaron and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Sorry about her. She’s… not exactly all that friendly anymore.”

“You’re telling me.” Aaron sighed to himself. “What… happened to her?”

“A lot of things. Rainbow has been fighting this battle a long time, I think it’s just warn her down.” Shining looked around. “Hey, you can stay with me if you want. If Rainbow doesn’t want to help, then I will accept it.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate that.”

“No problem. Any friend of my sister is a friend of mine.” Aaron began to fluster a bit. Knowing full well that they were more than friends, but he wasn’t about to let him know that. At least, not yet. Leaving the room, Aaron turned to see Rainbow getting into what looked to be a bed of some kind, curling up into a ball as her wings reached up to cover her head. His first day in the prison and already things weren’t going as planned. He could only hope that things top side were at least doing better than he was.

Author's Notes:

Thanks for sticking with me for so long. I'm you guys are enjoying the story thus far. Aaron has come far in his journey and now he will face his hardest challenge yet. I do hope you guys will stick around to read on.